Innovation from the Bottom Up - An Argument for Iwate's Approach

An earlier post discusses the differences between Iwate Prefecture's bottom up approach and Miyagi Prefectures nationwide-sourcing approach to recovery. That post cites Miyagi criticism of Iwate's approach. How is Iwate to come up with anything new? Ryu Matsumoto's insulting and career-killing "No smarts, no help" remark to Iwate Governor Tasso played on this criticism.

Miyagi Fisheries Recovery Zone - New JF Miyagi chairman still rejects zone, claims fisheries now open to corporations

The fisheries recovery zone promoted by Miyagi Prefecture Governor Yoshihiro Murai took a small step toward realization with JF Miyagi's newly selected chairman, Shinetsu Kikuchi.

Reconstruction Minister Blasts Tohoku Official — for ‘Bad Manners’

Update: 2011-7-6: Matsumoto resigned

New Reconstruction Minister Ryu Matsumoto lost his temper when Miyagi Governor Murai kept him waiting for a meeting, then blasted the Governor for his lack of manners and failing to remember his military training, and finally threatened to destroy any media company that reported his outburst.

[Fukushima's Choice] 1873: Asaka Irrigation Project - an early Meiji national project

This post was moved to http://futaba-nuke-park.blogspot.com/2011/07/fukushima-history-1873-asaka-irrigation.html.

Naming disasters and emotional ownership

In an earlier post, "Whose disaster is it, anyway?", I argue that emotional ownership is important for victims of a disaster to recover from that disaster. A translator, who works for the Prime Minister's office, argues that simply calling it "the 3/11 disaster" is good enough.

• Translator: In our translations we use "the 3/11 disaster," etc
• Me: Okay globally. Emotional ownership first to Tohoku, second to Japan, third to globe.
• Translator: No, not global ownership issues; the term that will be used most around the globe. Globally speaking, it'll end up being "the 2011 Japan quake," like 2004 Indonesia, 2010 Chile.
• Me: The Kan administration's first and most lasting contribution?
• Translator: We did lots of translation for the Kantei; convinced them to abandon "Tohoku -off the Pacific" [sic]. I just don't think the question of labeling/linguistic ownership is a vital one here.

[Fukushima's Choice] Fukushima's Nuclear Coast - Japan's version of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

Moved to http://futaba-nuke-park.blogspot.com/2011/07/fukushima-history-fukushimas-nuclear.html.

[Fukushima's Choice] An exploration of why Fukushima Prefecture chose to host nuclear power and what its choices are after nuclear power

Moved to http://futaba-nuke-park.blogspot.com/2011/07/exploration-of-why-fukushima-prefecture.html.

Tohoku's Nuclear Villages: Small, Unsophisticated and Rich

Moved to http://futaba-nuke-park.blogspot.com/2011/07/tohokus-nuclear-villages-small.html.

Japan’s strength from Tohoku's outlaw past

The Economist's recent outstanding article, about the strength of Japan's regions nicely focuses on the pressure points for change.

While the article states that Tohoku's tight-knit, independent streak dates back centuries, one can add Tohoku's outlaw status stemming out of Japan's Sengoku Period of the 16th and 17th centuries.

Tochigi Pref to donate 1 million strawberry plants to Miyagi farmers

Tochigi Prefecture, Japan's largest producer of strawberries, will donate 1 million strawberry plants to farmers in Miyagi Prefecture's Watari and Yamamoto towns. More than 90% of the 98 hectares of cultivated land in these towns were ravaged by the 11 March tsunami.